CYPRUS
590
CYPRUS
Jerusalem ; in 1373 it fell to the Genoese, in 1489 to
the Venetians. Finally, in 1571, it became Moslem
territory under Sultan Seltm II. In 1878 it was oc-
cupied by England and is now administered by an
EnglLsh high commissioner, assisted by a board of four
English members (Statesman's Year Book, London,
1908). The island is hilly, with few rivers, and the
climate is hot. Its once famous cities have perished ;
the chief towns are now Lamaca (the best port), Ni-
cosia, and Limasol. Its area is 153,584 square miles.
The popiJation in 1901 was 237,000 (51,000 MussiJ-
mans, 1100 Maronites, 850 Latins, 300 Armenians, a
few Protestants and Jews, and the rest Greeks). It
produces dates, carobs, oranges and other fruits, oil,
wine, and corn. It has also sponge fisheries. Gypsum
is mined there and copper mines were worked in an-
cient times. Christianity was successfully preached
in Cyprus by St. Paul, St. Barnabas (a native of the
island), and St. John Mark. At Paphos the magician
Elymas was blinded and the Proconsul Sergius Paul us
was converted (Acts, xi, xiii, xv). The Byzantine
"Synaxaria" mention many saints, bishops, and mar-
tyrs of this early period, e.g. St. Lazarus, St. Hera-
clides, St. Nicanor (one of the first seven deacons), and
others. In the fourth century we find two illustrious
names, that of St. Spiridion, the shepherd Bishop of
Trimithus, present at the CJouncil of Nic»a in 325 with
two other Cypriot bishops, whose relics were removed
to Corffl in 1460, and that of St. Epiphanius (d. 403),
Bishop of Salamis, the zealous adversary of aU here-
sies and author of many valuable theological works.
The Bishop of Salamis (later Constantia) was then
metropolitan of the whole island, but was himself sub-
ject to the Patriarch of Antioch. During the Arian
quarrels and the Eustathian schism, the Cypriote
Church began to claim its independence. Pope Inno-
cent I stood out for the rights of the Antiochene patri-
arch, Alexander I. However, it was not long before
the Council of Ephesus (43l) in its seventh session
acknowledged the ecclesiastical independence of C>y-
prus: the cause was gained by the metropolitan,
Rheginus, who was present at Ephesus with three of
his suffragans. In 488 Peter the Dyer (Petrus Fullo),
the famous Monophysite patriarch, made an effort to
recover the ancient Antiochene jurisdiction over the
island. During the conflict, however, the Cypriote
metropolitan, Anthimus, claimed to have learned by a
revelation that the site of the sepulchre of St. Barna-
bas was quite near his own city of Salamis ; he found
there the body of the Apostle with a copy of St. Mat-
thew's Gospel, brought the relics to Constantinople,
and presented them to the Emperor Zeno. Acacius
of Constantinople decided in favour of Cyprus against
Antioch, since which time the ecclesiastical indepen-
dence {autocephalia) of the island has no more been
called in question, the archbishop, known as exarch,
ranking immediately after the five great patriarchs.
From the fifth to the twelfth century the following Archbishops of Constantia (Salamis) are worthy of note: Acadius, biographer of St. Symeon Stylites the Younger, and an uncompromising opponent of the Ecthesisof Heraclius (q.v.); Sergius, who condemned this document in a council and sent the pertinent de- cree to Pope Theodore I, but became afterwards in- fected with the very error he had formerly condemned ; George, a defender of the holy images (icons); Con- stantinc, who played a mnsiiicuous i)art in tlieir de- fence at the Second Nicene Council (787); Nicliolas Muzalon, appointed Patriarch of Constantinople in 1147. Another remarkable prelate is St. Detni'tri- anu,s. Bishop of Clhytra-a (ninth and tenth century). After the conquest of Cyprus l)y the Arabs, (132 fit7, the Christian population with its bishoi)s emigrated to the mainland. Justinian II built for them, near the Hellespont, a city wliieh he called Nea Justiriianop- olis; tiicir archbishop enjoyed there the rights lu' had in Cyi)rua, besides exc-rcising jurisdiction over the sur-
rounding country (Quinisext Council, can. xxxix, C92).
After the death of Justuiianll the Cypriotes returned
to their island with their hierarchy. Under Nice-
phorus Phocas (963-969) Cyprus was freed com-
pletely from the Arabs, who had sometimes treated it
ruore kindly than the Byzantme emperors. Chris-
tianity, however, gained by the restoration. To this
period belongs the fomidation of three great monas-
teries. Our Lady of Pity (Eleusa) of Kykkos, Mach-
JEras, and the Encleistra, the last founded in the
twelfth century by the recluse Neophytiis, author of
several ascetical works. The Prankish rule, though
at first accepted rather willingly, was finally the source
of profound disturbance. In 1196 King Amaury ob-
tained from Celestine III a Latin hierarchy for his
kingdom: a resident archbishop was placed at Nico-
sia (Leucosia), with three suffragans at Paphos, Li-
masol (Temessos), and Famagusta (Ammochostos,
formerly Arsinoe). Knights Templars, Carmelites,
Dominicans, Franciscans, Augustinians, Benedic-
tines, Cistercians, Carthusians, Regular Canons, Pre-
monstratensian nmis soon had many flourishing mon-
asteries. Splendid chm-ches were built in the Gothic
or ogival style, and many Greek chmches were
changed into Latin ones. Ecclesiastical revenues
were assigned (in part) to the Latin clergy ; the Greek
clergy and the faithful were subordinated to Latin
jurisdiction. In the execution of the decrees of the
Fourth Lateran Council (1215) Cardinal Pelagius,
legate of Innocent III, showed himself utterly intran-
sigent. Thirteen refractory Greek monks were cruelly
put to death. The Greek archbishop, Neophytus,
was deposed and exiled, the Greek sees reduced to
four, the bishops ordered to reside in small villages
and obey the Latin archbishop (1220-1222). Inno-
cent IV and Alexander IV were more favourable to
the Greeks (Hergenrother-Kirsch, Kirchengesch., 4th
ed., 1904, II, 726), and the Government often defended
them against the Latins. The ecclesiastical history
of Cyprus during this sad period is one of conflict be-
tween the two rival communions, the Greeks being
always looked on as more or less schismatic both by
the Latins and by the Greek Patriarch of Constanti-
nople. An attempted union of the two Churches in
1405 did not succeed, nor was the Union of Florence
(14.39) more lasting. Li 1489, through the abdication
of Queen Caterina Cornaro, the island became sub-
ject to Venice, whose rule was even more intolerable
to the Greeks, so that, as stated, in 1571 they wel-
comed the Turkish conquerors as true deliverers.
Among the more conspicuous Latin Archbishops of Nicosia may be mentioned Eustorge de Montaigu (1217-1250) who died at the siege of Damietta, a stern defender of the rights of his Church and a skilful administrator; he increased the splendoiu- of the church services, established schools, built the archi- episcopal palace and the magnificent cathedral of St. Sophia; ITgo di F.agiano (1251-1201), distinguished for his zeal and piety, but a zealous adversary of the Greeks; Gerard de Langres (1274), deposed by Boni- face VIII for siding with Philip the Fair; Giovanni del Conte (1312), renowned for hLs charity; Cardinal Elie de Nabinals (1332), a great reformer; Andreas of Rhodes (1447), present at the Council of Florence; Filippo Mocenigo (1559), who assisted at the closing sessions of the ('oimcil of Trent, heljied the Venetians against the Turks, and, after the loss of Cyprus, re- tired to Italy. The Latin bishojis of Cyprus showed themselves generally worthy of their mi-ssion, by re- sisting the encroachments of the kings, sometimes also of the Latin Patriarchs of Jeru.salem, and even of the pontifical legates. The only reproach they deserve is a want of tact in their behaviour towards the Greeks, and also that their clergy at certain times were guilty of moral laxity. Few saints appear in Latin Cj^irus; we hear only of the saintly Franciscan, Ugo di Fagiano, and the Dominican, Pierre de La
